title: Left ventricular mass formulae and prevalence rates of echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy in nigerians with essential hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) as a marker of cardiac damage in hypertension has important prognostic implications. With high prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria and the untoward effect of LVH, it is essential that the prevalence of LVH be determined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine prevalence of LVH and its severity in clinical practice among hypertensive patients referred for echocardiographic assessment in Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Devereux and Troy formulae were used to calculate echocardiographic LV mass (LVM) in 401 subjects and thereafter normalized to body surface area (BSA), heigth(2) (ht(2)) and height(2.7) (ht(2.7)) to define LVH to standard gender-specific thresholds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age was 53.22 ± 16.56 years (male = 53.18 ± 15.80; female = 53.27 ± 17.43; P = 0.958) with a male:female ratio of 1.13:1. Prevalence rates of LVH ranged between 38.9-51.3% using the Devereux Formula and 62.4-71.1% using the Troy formula. LVM/(ht(2.7)) using the Troy formula gave the highest prevalence rate of LVH. Majority of the patients with LVH had severe form of hypertrophy with the prevalence rates ranging from 22.3% (LVM/BSA; Devereux formula) to 47.1% (LVM/ht(2.7); Troy formula).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence of LVH by any echocardiographic criteria is high. There is a need to come to a consensus on the best formula and indexing variables, that will unify the reporting of LVH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ebenezer Adekunle
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ajayi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ajayi Ebenezer
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Adekunle
authors.forename: Iyiade Adeseye
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Ajayi
authors.forename: Ajayi Iyiade
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Adeseye
authors.forename: Tolulope Adebayo
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Oyedeji
authors.forename: Oyedeji Tolulope
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Adebayo
authors.forename: Adekunle Olatayo
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Adeoti
authors.forename: Adeoti Adekunle
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Olatayo
authors.forename: Olusola Joseph
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Omotoye
authors.forename: Omotoye Olusola
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: Rasaaq Ayodele
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Adebayo
authors.forename: Adebayo Rasaaq
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ayodele
keywords: Essential hypertension; Left ventricular hypertrophy; Prevalence; Severity of left ventricular hypertrophy